1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hinges used for pivoting one article relative to another. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hinge having a spring loaded ball and socket arrangement for providing pivoting of the hinge components and further for providing separation of the hinge components in response to a predetermined level of shear force acting on the hinge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hinges are composed of two relatively pivotable components, each of which being connected to a respective article to thereby provide pivoting of one of the articles with respect to the other. A common type of hinge utilizes a pair of leaves with interleaved tubular knuckles and a hinge pin. In this arrangement, the leaves are connected to respective articles, such as by threaded fasteners or rivets, and the knuckles are then interleaved so that the tubes of the knuckles are aligned. The hinge pin is then placed through the knuckles, whereupon the leaves are pivotable on the hinge pin with the weight of any free standing article being supported by the interface between the interleaved knuckles.
While hinges are well known and are very well suited to the purpose for which they are intended, there remains the problem that the hinge pin does not admit separation of the leaves in the event some untoward incident should arise, as for example someone trapped in a locked room or a driver trapped in a burning motorized conveyance.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a hinge which admits of being separated upon the application of a predetermined level of shear force, yet provides hinge action in a perfectly able manner.
In the prior art, it is known to provide a hinge using a spring-loaded ball and socket arrangement, as for example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,217,607, which mentions separability of the hinge being provided thereby, and in the drawings of French Patent 1,289,267. However, in these arrangements the balls are held in position only by being in a fully assembly state. In the event the hinge becomes separated, the balls and spring will fly off randomly, likely becoming lost or possibly causing injury or damage. Further, these hinges are not conventional in appearance and external structural aspects, thereby potentially limiting their serviceability in conventional applications.
Accordingly, there yet remains needed in the art a separable hinge operating on a spring loaded ball and socket arrangement, wherein the spring loaded balls thereof are pre-assembled and remain assembled whether or not the hinge is assembled or separated.